Should the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change recognize climate migrants?

This article addresses the expected increase of migration flows due to climate change, especially from socially and environmentally vulnerable populations, and the absence of official protection under international law, which has implications for the human security of migrants. It argues that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) can and should recognize climate migrants, and is the most relevant international framework for doing so.

It acknowledges the willingness of the UNFCCC's Cancun Adaptation Framework to address the issue through an adaptation lens by acknowledging climate displacement, migration and planned relocation issues. Herein, the paper proposes a framework for setting the institutional groundwork for recognizing climate migrants, focusing on the most vulnerable, promoting targeted research and policy agendas, and situating policies within a comprehensive strategy.